Early Career Mini-Grant

Dr. Kristen N. Lamb begins the abstract of her proposed project with a forthright indictment: “Educational stakeholders have increasingly scrutinized gifted education, naming it a modern-day form of racial segregation (Barnes, 2022; Whiting et al., 2017).”

Lamb, an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama’s College of Education, focuses much of her research on equity issues in advanced academics. Alabama’s history of segregation and efforts at desegregation make the state ripe for such study. Lamb will use this project to examine desegregation orders, consent decrees, and related progress outcomes for gifted education in the state. “Approximately 89% of school districts in Alabama had or have consent decrees, often dating back to the original order issued in the 1970s, and 37% of those districts continue to struggle to meet unitary status (NCES,, n.d.; ProPublica, 2014),” Lamb wrote.

She will research the characteristics of these court orders and how they affect representational disparities in gifted education and student outcomes in the state. According to Lamb, “As the first case study to investigate the impacts of class action lawsuits in the context of gifted education, the findings from this study will shape a better understanding of characteristics and approaches that have yielded positive district and student outcomes.”

Lamb hopes to use the study’s findings to identify action steps of consent decrees that have led to successful and unsuccessful change and help bridge the gap that often exists between research, policy, and practice.

With a commitment to promoting equity in gifted and talented education, Lee engages in a variety of scholarly activities. She conducts research studies, delving into the unique needs, challenges, and experiences of advanced learners. Her work also involves developing educational resources, including curriculum materials and instructional strategies tailored to the specific requirements of gifted students.

Lee provides professional development opportunities for educators and administrators, empowering them with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively nurture and support advanced learners. By engaging in advocacy efforts and collaborating with stakeholders, Lee works to implement policies that ensure equitable access to gifted and talented education. Through her work, Lee strives to break down barriers and create a level playing field where all students can thrive and excel academically.

While teaching, she implemented a Maker Space in her school system, started the county’s Destination Imagination program, and served as the county coordinator. She has taught multiple summer enrichment programs in robotics and programming.

Dr. Roberts’ research interests include teacher perceptions of curiosity & creativity and women in STEM. Her research proposal aims to combat systemic racism and provide social justice development as gifted education in order to provide a systematic response that involves anti-racism and social justice efforts in reaction to recent current events. Her goal: further researching Black gifted and talented students’ needs to fill a knowledge gap.

“Black gifted and talented students’ needs have not been extensively studied, especially at the college level and at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Honors Program,” she said. “This study will explore HBCU Black honors students’ self-perceptions of their curiosity and creativity. Knowledge of these self-perceptions can help students to become more self-aware of their strengths in these specific areas of curiosity and creativity. These self-perceptions can also help professors and honors program staff members to better support and address the needs of their Black honors students.”